Schiphol passport checks could happen with an app in a few years' time: State Sec

Schiphol Airport is experimenting with digital passport checks to see if this will make the process go more quickly and shorten the long lines for intercontinental travel. Within a few years' time, passport controls at the airport could happen with an app on which travelers complete their details before arrival, State Secretary Eric van der Burg (Justice and Security) said on Thursday.

The Netherlands is experimenting with the Digital Travel Credential (DTC) at the request of the European Commission, the government said. The trial is happening in collaboration with Canada and KLM. KLM passengers over the age of 18 on flights from Canada to Amsterdam can participate in the trial. They’ll be invited to take part in an email sent to the address used to book their KLM flight. The first flight with participating travelers, KL672 from Montreal, arrived at Schiphol on Thursday morning.

Participants have to download an app, upload a photo of their face, fill in their passport information, and answer the questions typically posed upon arrival, like where they’ll be staying and the details of their return flight. The Koninklijke Marechaussee, which is responsible for border control in the Netherlands, can then check the details before the plane arrives.

At the airport, participating travelers will hold their passports to the border gate. If no issues came up during the digital check and there is a match between the DTC and the presented passport, the gate will open, and the traveler can proceed. If the Marechaussee needs further clarification on anything, the traveler will still have to go to the desk.

Travelers will still need to bring their physical passports with them on their trip but no longer have to open them and show them to the Marechaussee officer at the airport. The closed passport can be pressed against the chip reader to proceed.

“The purpose of the DTC is to carry out processes on and around the border more effectively and efficiently,” the government said. “Because the Koninklijke Marechaussee can carry out various checks that are normally carried out at the border earlier, it is expected that the traveler will be able to complete the border process more quickly upon arrival at the airport.”

The experiment will run until the end of March. The Dutch government will share the results with the European Commission.